Sunday, May 11, 2014

Random Sequence

I saw her! She came to that window! She's in that house, Bolker, by Jupiter!" exclaimed John Henry, evidently in a frenzied state of mind, and immediately darted up the steps again.

Fearful of an approaching crisis, I rushed after him, and, getting between his outstretched hand and the bell-pull, besought him to be calm, and restrain himself till we could find a cab to take him home.

"Pshaw!" said he, with unnecessary petulance, considering the kindness of my offer, "don't be a fool, Bolker. I tell you there is some mistake. That lovely young lady is certainly in this house. I saw her distinctly at the window, a moment ago. Let me alone, will you? I know what I'm about."
--from "In Search of an Owner", in Godey's Lady Book and Magazine, July 1864

I recently came across a bound volume of Godey's Lady Book, a magazine from the 1860s, in my basement. It's full of all sorts of interesting ephemera from that era, including fictional pieces full of phrases like "by Jupiter" and "Pshaw!" Today it would be "by God!" (or "Jesus Christ!") and "Bullshit!" -- which would, I suppose, have given the ladies of the 1860s the vapors.